9.0°C > 11.0°C: Patchy cloud at medium/high level. A few sunny interludes. Moderate south-westerly breeze. Good visibility.
Sunrise: 08:09 GMT
* = a species photographed today
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:20 – 09:25
(297th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- I heard Canada Geese fly in but did not see them. Five seen later, perhaps not all of these were the birds I heard arriving.
- an adult Mute Swan flew in. Odd that while the residents were still here they were chasing visitors almost daily. Since the residents departed this is only the second time I have noted any here.
- a pair of Goosander visited briefly.
- the usual post 08:30 gull arrival was almost non-existent.
- two Great (White) Egrets were present some of the time.
- 13 Song Thrushes singing today.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Stock Dove
- 14 Wood Pigeons
- 8 Herring Gulls
- 35 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 184 Jackdaws
- 122 Rooks
- c.35 Starlings: together
- 1 Redwing
- 1 Pied Wagtail
Counts from the lake area:
- 5 Canada Geese: see notes
- 1 Mute Swan: arrived
- 13 (9♂) Mallard
- 40 (25♂) Tufted Duck
- 2 (1♂) Goosander: briefly
- 7 Moorhens
- 43 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- c.50 Black-headed Gulls only
- 8 || 4 Herring Gulls
- c.375 || 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 2 Cormorants: arrived separately
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Great (White) Egret
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
Flies:
- 1 green midge Tanytarsus sp.
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
Springtails:
- 2 globular springtails sp., possibly Dicyrtomina saundersi
Bugs:
- 1 Common Froghopper Philaenus spumarius: on a different pole to yesterday
Spiders:
- 2 harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis
Noted later on the Teece Drive fence:
Beetles:
- 1 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata
The cloud cleared allowing this much crisper view.
The Mute Swan that flew in. Looks to be a cob (male) with a large swelling at the base of its bill.
One of two globular springtails I noted. Possibly Dicyrtomina saundersi but my camera does possess enough resolution to be able to positively identify these tiny creatures.
A winter cranefly Trichocera sp. The several species in this family are almost impossible to identify from photos.
...by this one. As they were less than a foot apart I assume they both that species.
(Ed Wilson)
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Flies:
- 1 midge only again
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 7 spiders: usual suspects
The spiders did not have much to try and catch!
(Ed Wilson)
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(291st visit of the year)
Bird notes
I was told that the Cormorant seen tied up in fishing line last week later flew in to the trees and in so doing became suspended with the fishing line wrapped around branches. It was rescued by Cuan Wildlife Rescue. Had it not become suspended I doubt Cuan would have been able to catch it. No Cormorants seen today.
Other bird notes:
- the number of Pochard seems to change on a daily basis. There were four quite obvious drakes today.
- with four drake Goosanders there was much chasing around though no flying.
- the milder weather encouraged several Great Tits to sing.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull: (near) adult
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 7 Canada Geese
- no Greylag Geese
- 35 (24♂) Mallard
- 7 (4♂) Pochard
- 44 (22♂) Tufted Duck
- 12 (4♂) Goosander
- 5 Moorhens only
- 46 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes again
- 49 Black-headed Gulls
- 9 Herring Gulls: all ages
- no Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- 1 male Mottled Umber Erranis defoliaria
On the bank of Ivy:
Bees, wasps etc.:
- >2 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris
Flies
- >5 Common Blow Fly Calliphora vicina
Three drakes and one brownhead Goosanders making a splash.
"Where have all the girls gone?". Note that all of them have their heads held such they have very steep foreheads.
The difference in the head shape between the drakes and the brownheads is shown here.
This shows all four of the drake Goosanders present this morning.
I still don't know how they manage to stand up like this. Is it all down to flapping?
"I wonder what happens if..." A trio of first-winter Herring Gulls.
"Here I go!"
"glug, glug". The gull makes a splash.
Another first-winter Herring Gull prefers swimming to diving.
I found this both "mottled" and "umber" male Mottled Umber moth Erranis defoliaria unusually at the top end.
Plane of the day: a 1975 vintage Reims-built 2-seat Cessna F150M with an owner from Castle Donnington in Derbyshire. Despite his address it was making one of several local flights from Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon. Seems a long way to drive to fly your aircraft.
(Ed Wilson)
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2012
Priorslee Lake
2 Wigeon
3 Gadwall
9 Pochard
41 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders
166 Coots
Peregrine Falcon
118 Black-headed Gulls
>500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.40 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
43 Redwings
2 Fieldfares
c.469 Jackdaws
53 Rooks
(Ed Wilson)
2009
Priorslee Lake
Black-necked Grebe
4 Great Crested Grebes
33 Swans
31 Pochard
70 Tufted Ducks
1 Water Rail
308 Coots
c.1300 Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
c.300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
102 Herring Gulls
1 Great Black-backed Gull
225 Jackdaws
3 Siskins
2 Redpolls
(Ed Wilson)
Trench
2 Great Crested Grebes
3 Cormorants
8 Pochard
60 Tufted Ducks
drake Mallard x Pintail
1 adult Yellow-legged Gull
6 Herring Gulls
(Ed Wilson)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
56 Tufted Ducks
1 drake Ruddy Duck
2 Goosanders
3 Lapwings
1 Snipe
>1700 Black-headed Gulls
865 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
22 Robins
22 Blackbirds
6 Redwings
243 Jackdaws
133 Rooks
22 Chaffinches
1 Brambling
12 Greenfinches
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
Water Rail
6 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
247 Coot
402 Jackdaws
483 Rooks
37 Siskins
1 Redpoll
21 Fieldfares.
2 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)